Wednesday marks the official reporting day for New England Patriots veterans, which usually includes the annual conditioning test. The rookies and most injured players have been in since Sunday...

Remarks from Belichick, Ninkovich, McCourty and Mankins will preview the first practice of camp, which is scheduled for Thursday morning. Based on the current forecast, the first practice could be a wet one, similar to last year. Quarterback Tom Brady, linebacker Jerod Mayo and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork are already lined up to speak with reporters on Thursday after practice.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- There haven't been many years when the New England Patriots defense was met with as much optimism and buzz as the Tom Brady-led offense. This is one of them. And that's the best thing possible for the team's Super Bowl championship hopes. The last time we saw the Patriots' defense, it was an injury-ravaged group that was carved up by Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning in the AFC Championship Game. Not enough pass rush. Not competitive enough in coverage...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A daily review of hot topics coming out of training camp:The team's first practice provided a snapshot of how the team plans to manage tight end Rob Gronkowski as he works his way back from surgery on his torn right ACL on Jan. 9. Gronkowski participated in individual drills, but not in any of the 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 drills. Gronkowski had a brace over the knee, and is still wearing a protective cover over his previously injured left forearm. He didn't seem reluctant running, cutting and planting, and at the end of practice spent some extra time on the field catching passes from quarterback Tom Brady. At the same time, it's clear that this is going to be a gradual process in bringing Gronkowski along...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Veteran New England Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork knows he has a few more hurdles to clear before he's all the way back from a ruptured Achilles sustained last Sept. 29, but Thursday's first training camp practice marked another step in the right direction. "If I had limitations, I wouldn't be practicing. Right now, I'm on the field and I'm healthy," Wilfork said after the two-hour session. "I'm pretty sure there's going to still be some stuff that I may need to do, so 'so far, so good.' I'm not looking back. I'm looking forward." ...

I'm obviously not a Pats fan, but I think this could be the year that they get #4. The off-season emphasis on defense in Bill's hands is bound to pay off. If Gronk can stay healthy I predict a 27-24 victory over Seattle in the Super Bowl.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A daily review of hot topics coming out of the New England Patriots training camp:

Tight end Rob Gronkowski confirmed the obvious -- while he might have been cleared to play from a medical perspective, he's still not 100 percent and is being managed from a football standpoint. That's why he's only taking part in individual drills at this point, while also putting in some extra time after practice with quarterback Tom Brady. Gronkowski, in his own unique way, also explained how he doesn't plan to change his style of play by saying, "I'm going to keep smashing and dashing everything I do."

A big part of football is seizing opportunity and second-year receiver Kenbrell Thompkins is doing just that. He's taking repetitions that likely would have been Aaron Dobson's and making plays that catch the eye. For the second day in a row, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Thompkins made a diving touchdown catch and he appears to be practicing with a lot of confidence. He runs precise routes, and most importantly, Brady has developed trust in him. That's not easy to do. They don't give out gold stars...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A daily review of the hot topics coming out of New England Patriots training camp:

Cornerback Darrelle Revis was the story of the day with two interceptions (both on Tom Brady passes intended for Julian Edelman) and two other pass breakups. Revis' potential impact on the Patriots could be huge and this practice was a reminder of that. Revis said Friday that he's in the best shape of his career and it shows.

This was the team's first full-pads practice, which gave us a chance to lock in on the offensive and defensive lines in one-on-one rush drills, as well as the tight ends in the running game. Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, in his first contact since rupturing his Achilles last September, gave a "yes sir" as he exited the field when asked if the Achilles responded well. There seemed to be an easing-in process for Wilfork in run-game drills, as he is adjusting to having some bodies falling in front of him. He was a full participant in the practice, taking another important step in his recovery...

1. Linebacker Jamie Collins looks primed to make the jump to the rare three-down front-seven defender in the Patriots’ system, and one confirmation of this came in the last two days of practice: When the Patriots worked on punt and kickoff coverage, Collins wasn’t part of the drills. Collins was a core special-teams contributor last year, but with the club planning on a major uptick in his 2014 defensive snaps (25.8 percent last season), initial plans seem to be in place to lighten his special-teams load.

2. Those who hope to see more of 275-pound Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower rushing the quarterback off the edge rather than chasing running backs in coverage, as he did often in 2013, would have liked what unfolded in one part of Saturday’s practice. Hightower was part of one-on-one rush drills and he proved to be a handful for left tackle Nate Solder on one repetition. If everyone is healthy come the regular season and Hightower teams with Jerod Mayo and Collins at linebacker, I could envision an on-the-line role for Hightower, playing to the strengths of a hybrid talent who could be a nice chess piece for a defense that likes to alter its fronts regularly...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A daily review of the hot topics coming out of New England Patriots training camp:

When cornerback Brandon Browner talked about practicing in full pads for the first time in training camp, he said, "It always feels good to get them pads on and smack a little bit." Browner then backed up his words by flattening rookie running back James White in 11-on-11 drills on Sunday. Overall, the play of Browner and Darrelle Revis has been one of the top early storylines of camp. On Saturday, Revis intercepted two Tom Brady passes and broke up two others. On Sunday, it was Browner establishing a physical edge that reminded us of when safety Rodney Harrison was creating physical havoc in his first year with the team. The Patriots' defense has been practicing with a bit of an edge, and Revis and Browner are a big part of it.

New England Patriots' projected rosterExamining the New England Patriots' roster:

QUARTERBACKS (3) Tom BradyRyan MallettJimmy GaroppoloNot reading anything into Garoppolo's handful of interceptions in the early days of camp. Mallett, as expected at this point, looks like he has the edge for the No. 2 job.